Away in Ingo
by Jen London
Summary: My first fanfic based on Ingo by Helen Dunmore. Its not that great but anyways. Please review!
1. The Memorial Service

Katie didn't see Granny Carne come into the church, but when she looked up, there was the old, wild lady.

Katie looked at the wise woman and smiled. Some people said Granny Carne was a witch; others said she was a fortune-teller. It made no difference to Katie. She was a funny old woman dressed in a red-brown dress at a funeral service. No, Katie had to correct herself… a _memorial_ service.

The smile disappeared from Katie's face as she remembered the reason she was here. Her friend Sapphire's father had gone missing. He went out to sea in the _Peggy Gordon_ and never came back home. Some people thought he was killed. Others thought there was a freak storm. Still others thought it was suicide.

Katie scowled as she remembered the argument that had occurred between Sapphire and Josie at school a few days earlier.

"Everyone thinks your dad drowned, and but my mum says he's gone off with another woman, maybe even a mermaid, like the old Matthew." Josie smirked.

"Shut up, Josie!" Katie said.

Sapphire didn't know what to do, so, in desperation and anger, she slammed Josie against the playground. Josie squealed as she fell to the ground, crying.

"My hand," Josie sobbed, "She's hurt me bad!"

Mrs Tehidy saw Sapphire push Josie, but she hadn't heard what Josie had said. She walked over briskly, pulled Josie up of the ground and frowned at Sapphire.

"I'll see _you_ later, Sapphire," she said.

"You've just got to tell her what Josie said!" Katie exclaimed. Sapphire shook her head.

Later, in the girls' toilets, Katie heard Josie telling her friends how Sapphire had pushed her over. "Hey, Josie, did you remember to say that you deserved it?" Katie asked Josie.

"Puh-_lease_! Sad old Sapphy-"

Sapphire pushed the door open and walked into the bathrooms. "Josie, if you say stuff like that about my dad again…"

Josie looked scared. Esther scowled and said, "Stop bulling!"

"Josie's the only bully around here," Katie retorted angrily.

Later, Sapphire thanked Katie.

"It's okay, it wasn't much," Katie grinned. "After all, who believes in mermaids? And the story of the other Matthew?"

Katie remembered when Sapphire had first told her the story of the mermaid of Zennor.

"This is how my dad tells it, anyway," Sapphire had grinned. "The Zennor mermaid, named Morveren, was in love with a human. She couldn't live in the Air because it would kill her, but all she thought about was him. She thought about him all day and all night and she just wanted to be with him. The man she fell in love with was called Matthew Trewhella, and I know that's my dad's name, but it's just a coincidence. This Matthew, the old Matthew Trewhella, used to sing in the church choir. One day, the mermaid, Morveren, swam upstream so she could hear her love sing. He couldn't let her go, so he swam away with her and was never seen again. They say he became a Mer. He left behind his friends, family, and Annie, a young woman who loved him. She was pregnant with his child, but he left with the mermaid before it was born. People say that we have the old Matthew's blood in us through this child. Poor Annie. I think she was the one who slashed the carving of the mermaid of Zennor inside the church."

And the conversation changed, and Sapphire and Katie had laughed. But no more laughing now. Sapphire's dad was gone.

Sapphire, her mum and her brother Conor sat in the front row. Katie heard Conor whisper into Sapphire's ear. He said not to worry. He said that they would find their dad. And then Sapphire said, "Yes. I know we'll find him away in Ingo."

The words were burned into Katie's memory, and she could recall them until the day she died. _Away in Ingo._ Ingo, where ever that was. Ingo.


	2. The Voice in the Sea

NB: I don't own Ingo or any of those characters, but I do own Alclippe and Aeron

A few days after the memorial service, Katie decided to see if Sapphire was home. She ran to her friend's house. The front door was slightly open, but nobody was home.

"Conor? Sapphy?" she shouted. The only reply to Katie's words was the complete, enduring silence. "Sapphire, are you here? I guess not."

Just as Katie turned to leave, a voice called out her name. _Katieee! _It called.

"Sapphire? Is that you?" Katie asked quietly, turning around. This time it was louder; _Kaiteee! _It was almost overpowering.

Katie ran out of the house and down to the beach. As the waves pounded against the beach, they echoed, _Katie, Katie, Kaiteee!_

What was going on? Katie slipped into the water and bean to swim out from the shore. Her wet, heavy clothes weighed her down, but she was determined to keep swimming. Who- or what –was calling her name? A seabird soared overhead, calling out its mocking call. Katie needed air. This was further out than she'd ever swum before. She needed air _now_ or she would drown.

_No, _said the voice in the sea, _let go of the Air!_

"But I'll drown!" Katie gasped as she splashed in the waves.

_Let go of the Air!_

And suddenly Katie was under the water sinking. So she let go of the air.


	3. Aeron

Katie blinked.

By rights, she should be dead now, but something was grasping her hand tightly. "You let go of the Air," it said.

"You're a seal," Katie replied, puzzled. "But you have the face of a boy."

The seal/boy laughed. "I'm not a seal. I'm full blood Mer!"

"Mer? Wait…. You're a mermaid?" Katie smirked. "I don't believe in mermaids."

"NO! I'm not a mermaid! Do I look like a girl to you?" the seal/boy shouted angrily.

"Sorry," replied Katie. "Maybe I am dead. I'm talking- _underwater _ -to a Mer."

"My name's Aeron. What's yours?" asked the seal/boy.

"Umm… Katie," Katie replied.

Aeron had the body of a boy, with blond hair and piercing, sea blue eyes. His seal-like tail, sleek and amazing, cut the through water like a knife. Here, under the water, Katie's two own legs seemed like a hindrance compared the beautiful Mer tail.

"How can I breathe underwater?" Katie questioned the Aeron. "And how come I've never seen a Mer before?"

"We're the creatures of Ingo, not the Air. We're a different world. Welcome to it! And in case you get all cocky and think you can breathe underwater whenever you like, you can't. You're only going to be able to do this when you're with me," Aeron commented. "But why are you here anyway?"

"Well, I was looking for my friends Sapphire and Conor, when suddenly, a voice in the sea called my name. So I came down to the beach and started to swim. Then the voice told me to let go of the Air, and I did. And then I met you!" Katie grinned weakly. "That's why I'm here."

"Did you say your friends names were Sapphire and Conor?" Aeron asked, scowling.

Katie nodded wordlessly.

"They've been here, to Ingo, as well. In fact, I think they're with my cousins at the moment," Aeron explained.

"Sapphy's here! Can I see her?" Katie asked.

"No. Forget her. Come, I have many things to show you," Aeron said, pulling her deeper into the sea.

It only seemed like a few minutes later, after Aeron had shown Katie many wonders of Ingo, the underwater world, when the Mer told her that she had to go back.

"Go back. Go back where?" Katie pouted. "I like it here in Ingo."

Aeron rolled his eyes and said, "You're leaving. We're going back home now!"

And soon they were both near the shore.

"It's sunset!" Katie exclaimed. "It was early in the morning when I got here!"

"Hey, time flies in Ingo," Aeron said, his body glistening in the pink-red light of the sun. "See ya round."

Katie stood at the edge of the sea. The tide lapped peacefully against her feet. She watched as Aeron swam back away, his back facing her as if she was already a distant memory. _Away in Ingo_. She'd just been to the place where Sapphire's father was, and Sapphy had been there, too!

As the sun sank even lower, Katie made a wish. "I want to see Aeron again. And I hope that Sapphy, who introduced me to mermaids in the first place, will find her father."


	4. Hooked on the Sea

Oh yeah, I don't own Ingo, but I do own Alclippe and Aeron. Anyway, back to the story.

Katie ran home and quickly showered before her parents should see what a wreck she was. Her clothes were soaked and her hair was tangled beyond recognition, but the young girl was determined to have it looking better by the time she'd finished her shower. Combing through her thick, tangled hair, she thought over the events of the day. There was something almost magical about Aeron and Ingo, and the fact that she was hooked on it already. She couldn't wait to go back under the water with Aeron again. Maybe tomorrow she could go for another dive. Everything seemed wonderful in Ingo. Everything seemed dull in the Air.

"Katie, have you nearly finished your shower?" Katie's mother yelled from downstairs.

"Yes, mum," Katie replied. "I'm coming down right away!"  
"Good, because dinner's nearly ready!"

Later, while Katie was eating dinner, Aeron was arguing with his sister, Alclippe, deep in the heart of Ingo.

"She's a girl! She's not from Ingo! She shouldn't be here!" Alclippe said sourly.

"Sorry, Alclippe, but I wasn't the one who led her here. It was Sapphire and her brother Conor who told her about the Mer in the first place. Katie seems to be good friends with Sapphire," Aeron replied softly.

"If Katie comes again, promise me that you'll get rid of her!" Alclippe frowned.

Aeron sighed in desperation. "If I must, I will banish her from Ingo. But I will not until you meet her."

"Meet her?" Alclippe squealed, "In your dreams!"

What to look out for in future chapters: Alclippe meets Katie face to face, Katie's mother finds out about her late night swim, Katie returns to Sapphire's house, Aeron and Alclippe argue again and Aeron realises that Ingo isn't everything.


	5. Trouble

The day was trouble. And from the start, Katie knew it.

I don't own Ingo, but I do own Alclippe and Aeron.

Back to the trouble…

The sky was grey. Clouds clustered in the miserable sky. Katie sighed. It was trouble, and she knew it.

"Katie? Katie, honey? Where are you?" Katie's mum shouted. "It's already 10 o'clock and you're still not up! You okay?"

"Yeah mum," Katie shouted in reply, turning away from the window and shaking away the nagging feeling that was tugging at her heart.

After she'd eaten breakfast, gotten dressed and cleaned her teeth, Katie ran down the beach and dived into the water. "Wait," she told herself, "I need Aeron to breathe under there. Maybe if I call him?" Katie raised her voice to a shout, "Aeron, Aeron, you out there?"

Waiting, waiting, waiting… It didn't work. Katie's shoulders slumped in desperation. She needed Ingo. She craved it.

Maybe she could try by herself. Just maybe she could get into Ingo alone! Her spine tingled with delight. Could she… would she? Yes, she would get into Ingo by herself. She could do it. She didn't need Aeron anymore.

She was… Katie! And she belonged in… Ingo!

That was it. So she dived.

PS. In Chapter Four, when I said Katie's 'late night swim', I meant just her 'swim'. Sorry :)


	6. Apology

I don't own Ingo…

She was there!

Katie had arrived in Ingo, all by herself. It felt great. She was free to do what she wanted. She was free to feel like she belonged.

Then she saw Alclippe. She knew it was Alclippe because she had the same blonde hair and deep blue, piercing eyes as Aeron.

"Oh boy," Katie sighed.

Alclippe cut through the water just as quick and as graceful as her brother. "Let me guess," she scoffed, "The infamous Katie?"

"You got that right, Alclippe," Katie replied.

An uneasy silence settled between them.

"Sorry," Katie said finally.

"Sorry for what?"

"For invading your space," Katie sighed.

Alclippe looked at her incredulously. "You're _sorry_?"

It was a new revelation for Alclippe. She'd never met a human before and it seemed unfathomable that this… this _Katie_ could even be sorry.

"Okay… Um, I'm not sure where Aeron is. We can look for him if you want," Alclippe said.

"Sure," Katie said, "But I thought you hated me."

"I do," Alclippe said simply.

Augh… Writers block! Long time, no writing...

Next chapter coming soon!


	7. Watery Grave

"So," said Alclippe, "Let's go find Aeron."

Katie nodded, then shook her head. "I need to go. I shouldn't have come here. My mum probably will be getting worried. Oh, I thought-" Katie blinked. A few bubbles of air slipped out of her mouth. She hadn't fully let go of the air, if she cared that her mother would be worried. Uh oh. She was in deep water- literally- and if she didn't fully let go of the air soon, she would drown.

Alclippe realised the same thing at exactly the same moment. "Let go of the Air! Are you crazy? You shouldn't have come here at all!"

Katie gasped in a mouthful of salty water.

"Hold my wrist," Alclippe said, and she started to swim up.

A minute had passed at least.

_Let go of the Air, _thought Katie, _Just forget. Stop breathing. _And Katie held her breath.

A minute and a half. Things were going fuzzy. It was dark. Her brain was becoming deprived of the precious oxygen. Katie felt the world slipping away. _Maybe if I can't breath, I'll be able to let go of the air._

Two minutes. Katie's brain was blacked out. Her last thought was, _And so it ends like this. It's so dark. I hate the dark. _Her reflex reactions kicked and she gasped for breath.

Alclippe struggled upward, Katie pulling her down like a deadweight. It was too late. Alclippe had seen humans drowning, and Katie was the first she had ever tried to save, for the sake of her brother.

It was time to tell Aeron.


End file.
